Improved washing-machine



Unire STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,306, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES HERVEY JENKINS, of Yorkville, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-WashingMachine 5 andIdohcreby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 3, a side sectional view of the same, taken in the line x x, Fig. 2.

Similar' letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The object of this invention is to obtain a clothes-washin g machine which will be adapted for operating upon all kinds or qualities of clothes and thoroughly cleanse the same without injuring them in the least.

A represents the suds-box, which is supported at a suitable height by legs or any proper framing, and B is a brush-cylinder, placed transverselyin the suds-box at one end of the same and by the sidewof the plate O, the upper end of which works loosely on arod, a. This plate has one or more springs, I), bearing` against its inner surface. (See Fig. 3.)

The brush-cylinder B is driven by a belt, c, from a shaft, D, underneath the suds-box, said shaft having a ily-wheel, E, at one end of it.'

The shaft D is the driving-shaft, and it is operated by a treadle-frame, F, which works on central journals, d, and extends the whole length of the machine, so that it may be operated at either end, as will be understood by referring to Figs. l and 3. This treadle-frame has an upright bar, G, attached centrally to it, and this bar has an oblong vertical slot, d,

in its upper part, through which a crank, c, on

the shaft D passes. By this arrangement it will be seen that a rotary motion will be oomniunicated to shaft D by operatingor vibrating the treadle-frame F.

On each side of the suds-box A there is an upright, j', and the upper ends of these, uprights form bearin gs for a shaft, H, which has a series of cranks, g, upon it. These cranks operate a series of pounders, I, which work in a box, J, in the suds-box, the box J being perforated and placed between vertical partitions 71, h, which forni a suds-box for the pounders independent of the suds-box A, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The pounders I are attached to rods K, which pass up through a guide-plate, L, and are connected by chains 'i to the cranks of the shaft EL The shaft H is driven by a belt,j, from the driving-shaft D, and the clothes may, if necessary, be pounded before being subjected to the rubbing operation.

In cleansing heavy or coarse clothes the pounders will prove to be a great acquisition, especially if very dirty.

M M are two pressure-rollers, placed one over the other in the same axial plane, the lower roller being allowed to yield or give, having itsjournals resting upon springs k, attached to the sides of the suds-box A. One of the journals of the upper roller, M, has a pulley, N, upon it, and this roller is rotated by a belt, Z, from .the shaft D.

Underneath the lower roller, M, there is a perforated board, O, for the clothes to fall upon as they are discharged from between the rollers M M. These rollers express the moisture from the clothes after vthey have been washed by the action of the brush-cylinder B between it and the plate C. In this washing or rubbing operation the clothes are held by hand and allowed to pass down between B and C, the cylinderB performing its work while the clothes are held above the cylinder and let down from time to time or raised up, as occasion requires.

Pis a brush-cylinder placed within the sudsboxA. This brush-cylinder is hollow, and has one of its ends open for the insertion of clothes within the cylinder and their removal therefrom. The bristles or brushes of this cylinder project from its exterior and interior surfaces, and the exterior surface of lthe cylinder may be used like the cylinder B, and the interior surface is used by placing clothes within the cylinder and allowingit to rotate, the clothes being subjected to the requisite degree of rubhing and friction within the cylinder. This cylinder P is operated by a belt, m, from shaft D.

This machine is adapted for washing all kinds of clothes, light or heavy, coarse or fine, and it may be operated with ease, requiring but a moderate expenditure of power. The

brushes may be constructed of bristles or of any of its substitutes, such as hair, whalebone,

YA,\for the purpose specied.

4. The arrangement of the pounders l, rod K,and crank g, suitably operated, in combination with the perforated boX J within in thel partition h, in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

5. The arrangement of the treadle-frame F, slotted upright bar G, crank c, and shaft D, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

J. H. JENKINS.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

